INDIANA -- A southern Indiana man is facing 15 counts of animal cruelty after authorities said his pit bulls were found starving and living in filthy conditions. Officials said the investigation started in Harrison County after three of the dogs attacked and ate neighbor Candace Weiland's pet alpaca.
Animal control officials said the owner, 27-year-old Jason Meyer, would breed and sell the dogs, but they were dehydrated, underweight and rarely fed. "He was really just a pet," Weiland said. "Just really, really liked him. I got him for Mother's Day, I think, one year."
For about six years, Weiland's alpaca, George, was part of the family. George kept watch over the goats outside the Weiland's Corydon home, which is exactly what Weiland said he was doing about three weeks ago when he was attacked. "I just actually started crying. I was just like, 'I can't deal with this. I can't see him.' It was upsetting," said Weiland.
Officials said three adult pit bulls killed the alpaca, then ate it during an effort to find some food near their home. "A lot of times, they'll kill for sport or for fun, but they don't necessarily consume what they've killed," said Harrison County Animal Control Officer Bruce LaHue.
Court documents show 27-year-old Jason Meyer abandoned the dogs. He has been charged with neglecting 15 of them, including eight puppies, leaving them without food and water, and laying in feces and urine. Police said one was even found dead. "Necropsy results showed the animal was emaciated and preliminary cause of death was starvation," said LaHue.
LaHue said the dogs were being kept at two different homes, and most of them were so sick he had to put them down. "Two of the dogs were not very social. They didn't want to be around people. The other dogs were just not adoptable because of the environment they came out of," said LaHue.
It was an unfortunate end to an attack Weiland said could have turned even worse for her family.
"What if it hadn't been one of my animals? What if it had been one of my kids?" said Weiland.
Meyer told WLKY's Daniel Kemp caring for the animals got tough when his wife stopped helping and he became sick with mono for about a month. He's due back in court in May.
(WLKY - April 10, 2012)
